


Excuse the mess I made

by VisiblePetrichor



Category: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Exes, F/M, Ocean's Eleven AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2020-05-13 19:03:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19257310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VisiblePetrichor/pseuds/VisiblePetrichor
Summary: It's been five years since Seth got arrested and Kate figured out that her ex-husband was a professional conman. She's made her peace and managed to move on... or so she thinks.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The title is me mis-remembering the lyrics to Frank Ocean's Thinkin Bout You. 
> 
> If the Kate/Carlos scene feels quick and awkward, it's because I felt awkward writing it and wanted it done quickly.

Kate's not sure of the first time she truly saw Seth all those years ago. She remembers isolated snippets of him everywhere she looked during her trip to Italy - the back of his head on the ferry in Lake Como, his leather jacket on the seat ahead of her on the train into Venice, his profile in the line to the Colosseum. Kate tried to shake him off, but instead she found herself looking out for him as the days went on, wondering where he would show up next. Some of the sightings turned out to be a different stranger with some similar feature that caught her eye. She couldn't ignore the way her heart sank every time it wasn't him. She convinced herself that he was too good looking to be single. She was taking a solo trip for a reason - to spend some time alone and figure out the next step in her life. The last thing she needed was man distracting her. Especially a man who made heads turn wherever he went.

Kate was taking a moment in front of Michelangelo’s Pieta in the Vatican, when Seth approached her for real. She didn't see him at first. So wrapped up she was in the feeling of finally seeing the famous sculpture in real life, the world around her blended into the background. 

When she looked up at the still figure next to her, her heart jumped at the sight of the mysterious stranger. She knew it was him and not the cheap look alike that she saw earlier that day. He was bigger up close - head and shoulders taller than she, broad shoulders, and biceps that belonged in a superhero suit. And, Good Lord, did he smell amazing. She tried to focus on the Pieta and commit to memory every emotion that she was feeling. But her attention kept shifting to her new neighbour, who was not hiding how much he kept looking at her. 

“You should really be looking at the sculpture,” she eventually whispered to him when she caught him giving her another once over and she could no longer pretend she hadn't noticed him.

“Well, sweetheart. I’m first trying to decide if it’s cute that you’re following me.” 

His voice was deep and seductive. The type that fit any woman's fantasy.

“What?" she replied with a scoff when her brain caught up to his allegation. "I’m not following you. You’re following me.”

She watched his lips form a smirk that could easily make a nun blush. He shook his head as he slowly walked behind her, before he leaned down and whispered into her ear, “See, I’m not so sure about that."

The feel of his breath on her neck sent a shiver down her spine. She should have been appalled - he invaded her personal space, and so easily acted as if they were familiar. The worst thought was realising that she liked it. 

Before she could get her bearings and defend herself, he walked away and disappeared into the crowd. 

When she saw him again later that day at the Pantheon, he gave her a knowing smirk that made her blood boil. She walked straight over to give him a piece of her mind. She may have been looking out for him around Italy, but she was no stalker. 

That quickly infuriating smirk never wavered when she confronted him. No matter what she said, he found a way to turn it around and make her laugh. 

Thinking back, she should have known it was all a ploy. He piqued her interest without raising any warning signs. And she fell for it. Easily. Hook, line, sinker. Everything he did to get her attention worked like a charm. 

Seth was very interested in her, her art degree, her job as a fine art exhibitions assistant. He asked her out for coffee and it quickly turned to dinner. They ended up at a restaurant close to the ancient Roman temple. It had tons of photos on the wall of famous celebrities, and the best ricotta cheesecake that Kate ever tasted. 

He was easy to talk to, funny, and incredibly handsome. They talked and laughed for hours. She was thrilled when he suggested taking a walk after they had overstayed their welcome at the restaurant. 

They walked through the streets of Rome and landed up at a gelato shop close to the Trevi Fountain, while they waited for the crowd to clear. Thinking back, he only gave vague details about his job as a business developer-slash-consultant. He was mysterious and she loved it. “But I'm looking for a career change,’ he said in between bites of delicious gelato. “Something more stable. Settle down, maybe. All the travelling gets tiring after a while.”

"Career changes are difficult," she replied, trying to sympathise. "Do you know what you're doing?"

She was caught off guard when her eyes met his. He had an intense look that she'll never forget. Seth set down his gelato, and he slowly, cautiously, reached over to brush stray hair behind her ear. The feel of his knuckles that gently caressed her jawline as he drew his hand back, sent a shiver down her spine. 

“Yeah, I think I do,” he finally answered. 

They spent the rest of her trip taking in the sites of Italy together. She was too consumed with her growing feelings for Seth that she wasn’t suspicious with how easily he could change his plans to travel with her. All she remembers of that time was midnight walks on the cobbled Italian streets, stolen kisses at some of the world’s greatest tourist attractions, and laughing so hard her stomach muscles ached for days.

Seth relocated to New York with her. Twelve months later, they were back in Rome saying their wedding vows in front of a few family and friends. 

Kate thought that she would never be happier. Her Prince Charming was a man she could never seem to figure out. A man, who easily won her over with his keen eyes, his relentless passion and his dorky smile. 

He always kept her guessing. 

Then, one call from Richie changed everything. At first, she couldn't understand Richie's panic and urgency. Nothing he said made sense. How could her husband have been a conman the entire time she knew him? His recent work trip a front for a job stealing priceless artifacts? Something had gone wrong and Seth had been arrested. Richie needed her to be careful what she said to the cops, who were likely to show up at their place soon. Kate never understood the phrase ‘getting the wind knocked out of you’ until that very moment.

It's been five years since that fateful day. Five years was the time it took to rebuild herself and her life. She learnt from the experience and grew as a person. She’s not the young, naive women who took a solo trip to Italy to find herself. If she never sees Seth Gecko again, it’ll be too soon.


	2. Chapter 2

"More wine, Ms Fuller?" her waiter, Jeremy, asks as he tilts the bottle towards her. 

Kate blinks up at him before she smiles and nods politely, hoping to mask how startled she was to be pulled from her thoughts. 

"I think I'd like a water too, thank you," she asks him before he leaves her table. 

"No problem, Ms Fuller. Would you like me to serve the first course while you wait for Mr Madrigal?"

"No thank you, Jeremy. I'm sure that he's on his way."

Jeremy seemed unsure but he didn't press her. As he left, Kate checked the time again. Carlos was running an hour late and there was no call or message to explain his tardiness. He's never late. It's one of the first things she liked about him. He always sticks to his schedule. No surprises. Dependable. But lately, he can't seem to focus on anything else except his casino. 

When she suggested dinner tonight, she was surprised that he agreed. She's barely seen him lately because of the long hours he's been spending at the casino. He's remodeled large portions of the casino, made room for a grand arena with a special heavyweight boxing match on opening night, and the gallery will showcase a special exhibition to mark the occasion. Carlos is a perfectionist. Not a single detail of the remodel has missed his eye. Kate doesn't blame him. The competition is stiff in Las Vegas and the standards are high. One mismatched counter, one design faux pas, one bad review, and the casino could take years to recover. 

Kate types out a few messages to send to Carlos.

'Are you on your way?'

'We can reschedule?'

She deletes all of them and instead sets her phone down on the table. The candlelight from the centrepiece catches the edge of her tennis bracelet, making it sparkle. She still can't believe how easily he convinced her to accept the expensive gift that he bought when they started dating. Carlos would not take no for an answer. It was clear from early on that he likes to show off and make an impression. Only now, months later, she's finally able to wear the beautiful bracelet without feeling guilty.

Jeremy returns with her water and tries to subtly place the plate of gnocchi on the table. Carlos knows that he's her favourite waiter and always has him serve their table when she's at the restaurant. Jeremy gives her a small nod before his eyes dart to somewhere behind her and he takes a step back. 

It's then that she feels a light caress at the back of her neck, down her spine until the zip of her dress, and across to rest on her shoulder. She closes her eyes to relish the sensation and smiles. Carlos is not one for public displays of affection, so he must be making up for being late. 

"I was about to send out a search party," she teases. He doesn't really like being teased but she feels entitled since he's so late. She turns to look up at him and stops. 

It can't be. 

"What are you doing here?"

"I guess your search party got the job done, Princess," Seth responds with his signature smirk as he removes his hand from her shoulder, trailing his fingers slowly down her arm. 

She tries to shake off the goosebumps that his touch leaves in his wake. "You can't be here," she says in utter disbelief. She knows that he was released from prison not too long ago. Richie and Scott still keep in touch. But Seth can't be in Vegas, in this casino, in this restaurant, at her table. 

"Don't sit," she scolds as Seth, with no visible care in the world, takes the seat opposite her and calls a waiter. 

"He's not staying," she says to Jeremy as Seth orders a scotch. Jeremy, sensing the palpable tension, leaves and quickly returns with a glass. She wonders if he'll call Carlos. She doesn't need a scene and neither does the restaurant. Carlos has too much on his plate right now. The last thing he needs is trouble from her ex. She has to get Seth to leave. 

"I got out," Seth says while leaning back into the chair and getting comfortable. He always had such an easy time getting comfortable in any setting. Kate used to love that about him. Not anymore. 

"I served my time, Kate. Paid my debt to society."

"That's funny. I never got a cheque." 

He laughs at her then. One of the full laughs where his eyes crease and he makes you feel like the funniest person who ever lived. 

He gives her a once over and licks his lips when he says, "You look good, Kate." He doesn't wait for a response, instead grabbing a fork and helping himself to her gnocchi. 

All Kate can do is grimace. His cavalier attitude means that he knew she'd be here. This meeting was clearly planned. Carlos isn't the jealous type but having him and Seth in the same room with everything going on, will not end well. Especially since Seth is here to cause trouble. 

"Seth, I mean it. You have to leave." 

"Can't an ex-con say hello to his wife?"

"Ex-wife," she clarifies. "Or didn't you get the papers?"

"Got 'em on my last day."

"I told you I'd write." 

"God, I've missed you, Fuller." He has a mouth full of pasta and a dumb grin on his face that's only serving to irritate her more. He grins like the cat who ate the canary and then made himself right at home in the birdcage. 

She forgot how infuriating he can be to deal with.

"And you'll continue to miss me when you get the Hell out of here."

"Oh, come on."

"No, Seth," she interrupts him. "You don't get to show up here after five years and expect everything to go back to the way it was." She’s trying to remain calm but his nonchalant demeanour is only making her more annoyed. 

"Why not?"

"Because you're a liar and a thief." 

"I only lied about being a thief. I don't do that anymore?"

"What? Steal?"

"No. Lie about it." He takes a sip of his drink, giving her a moment for her to understand what he's said.

She scoffs loudly without meaning to. The nerve of her ex-husband to make it seem like he has any moral fibre left. "Because that is obviously the worse of the two."

"It's in my blood, Kate." He rests his hand, open like an offering, on the dining table and looks her straight in the eye as he speaks. "It's who I am. Every room I walk into, every situation, I see the angles. I tried to pretend I was different before… with you. But look how that turned out."

"Well, good for you, Seth. Seems like you made it out of prison a better man." She tries hard not to sound sarcastic and bitter when she responds. It will only encourage him. What she needs to focus on, is getting him to leave before Carlos gets here. 

"Yeah. It's a transformative time, you know. Told some stories, heard some stories. Played dominoes."

"Fascinating," she deadpans. 

"What is?"

"Carlos, hi." She stands quickly to greet him, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. He visibly stiffens. She sometimes forgets that he likes to keep things professional when they're around his employees. "This is Seth. My ex-husband. Seth, Carlos."

Seth first takes another sip of his drink before slowly standing to take Carlos's hand. His movements are deliberately slow, adding to his air of smugness. 

Kate wants to stab him with a butter knife. 

"Ah, the infamous Mr Gecko. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Seth spotted me in the restaurant," she says before either man can say anything more. "He came over to say hi."

Carlos pats Seth on the arm as he slips past him to take his seat opposite Kate. "Well that is fortuitous. Please, Mr Gecko, join us. For old times sake." 

"He can't stay."

"It's Seth."

When Kate stares him down as she takes her seat, Seth quickly adds, "And I can't stay."

Carlos reaches for her hand over the table to thread his fingers through hers. He gives her a tight smile and barely looks at Seth as he replies, "Well that is too bad. I doubt we will see much of you after tonight, Mr Gecko. I believe parole conditions are strict for convicts and very easy to violate. I do not think that you want to see the inside of a jail cell ever again."

Kate closes her eyes and prays for strength. Of course Carlos did research on her ex. He probably knew that Seth was released before she did. 

She dares a glance at Seth who, to her surprise, is smiling down at her. 

"It was good to see you Kate. You take care."

She can't decipher the look in his eye, so she nods in response, hoping that the drama for the night is behind them. 

"Carlos."

Carlos doesn't pay Seth any attention. He lifts Kate's hand and brings her knuckles to his lips. She would probably blush if the tension in the air were not physically palpable. Carlos brushes his thumb over her knuckles lightly before he sets her hand down on the table. God, he's really putting on a show. Kate doesn't know where to hide her face as Carlos says, "Mr Gecko. Just so you know. In my hotel, there is always someone watching."

When Seth finally turns and leaves, Kate breathes a sigh of relief. That encounter went better than she imagined. Everything is still standing and no one else noticed the drama at their table. But one look at Carlos, and she knows he's still upset about seeing Seth here. 

"He was just here to say 'hi'," she tries explaining.

He removes his hand from hers quickly, as Jeremy brings Carlos his drink. "You never told me that your ex-husband was in Las Vegas."

"I didn't know."

"And him finding you at the restaurant?" 

"Dumb luck."

"Mr Gecko must be a lucky guy."

"Oh, I don't know about that. I think he's going home alone tonight."

He tries to hide his smile behind the menu he's perusing, but she sees it anyway. "His luck was bound to run out in Vegas. Especially in my casino. My house always wins." She rolls her eyes at his corny line as Carlos reaches for her hand again and kisses the inside of her wrist. 

He believes her. Crisis averted. Thank God. 

"For the record, Carlos. I am not a prize to be won. I make my own decisions." 

Jeremy brings her a new, warm plate of gnocchi as he refills her wine glass. 

"Yes you do, Kate," Carlos says as he orders his food. "And I am the luckiest man in Las Vegas with you by my side."

"That pay cheque of yours does wonders for my loyalty."

"Not my pay cheque."

"Yes. The gallery is Kisa's. I know," she replies between bites of food. It's nothing like the pasta she remembers from Italy, but it's still pretty tasty. "But you are the bank, let's not forget." 

She was skeptical when she first met Carlos and, ten minutes into the conversation, he tried to poach her from her job to curate at the art gallery in his casino and also asked her out on a date. She told him that it was one or the other, not both. But he was persistent. She kept receiving extravagant gifts from a 'secret admirer', and emails explaining how he has no say in the gallery. Two weeks later, she was packing up her stuff and moving to Las Vegas. At her first day on the job, Carlos promised her that all the gallery operations were under Kisa's control. “You will soon discover, Ms Fuller. That I always get my way,” he said while slipping the tennis bracelet on her wrist. 

"Speaking of the gallery, Kisa has informed me that you still have one more piece to secure for the exhibition?"

"Informed you? Carlos, you don't interfere with the art. Remember?"

"She says that the piece will be hard to acquire.”

“I have it under control.” Kate’s worked on this exhibition for months, ensuring that the tiniest detail is mapped out and considered. She knew that acquiring the last piece would come down to the wire, but she’s planned for that.

“We are on a tight schedule, Kate.”

She tells herself that he's only being like this because he's stressed about the big reopening. He's never doubted her before. 

“Carlos,” she says looking him straight in the eye, her voice steady. “Do you trust me?”

“Everything needs to be perfect.”

“Nothing will go wrong on your big night. I promise.” She takes a final bite of the pasta, collects her things and stands from the table.

“You are leaving?” Carlos asks as Jeremy brings his plate of food and another drink.

“I only had an hour to spare,” she says as she pulls on her blazer. “I have this really tight deadline and the boss is this tight-ass perfectionist.”

"Careful, Ms Fuller."

"Don't wait up, Carlos." She spares him a wink before she turns on her heel and heads out of the restaurant. She's determined to make the exhibition the best it can be. She won't be sidetracked by a tardy Carlos. And definitely not by an unwelcome Gecko.


	3. Chapter 3

There are a million things she needs to do right now for the exhibition. Everything has been planned for, but she's done this long enough to know that it's always the fine details that trip you up. This close to exhibition day, she knows that it's a bad idea to take her eye off the ball. Instead, she called Seth and she’s waiting for him at a coffee shop not far from the casino. She can't take her mind off him long enough to focus on her work anyway. It’s no coincidence that he’s in Vegas and that he found her at the casino the other night. The sooner she figures out what he wants, the sooner she can get him to leave her in peace. 

He’s running late, as usual. 

She spots him strolling across the street like he’s some waiting-to-be-discovered Hugo Boss model. Of course he’s looking more handsome with age.

“It's good to hear from you, Kate,” he says when he takes a seat at her table. He shrugs his jacket off and she can see the flex of his bicep underneath his shirt. His workout routine did not suffer during his incarceration.

Kate’s not surprised when the waitress immediately gravitates to Seth. 

“Hi there. I’m Sarah. I'll be taking care of you today. What can I get you?”

Kate doesn't remember receiving that warm a welcome when she entered the coffee shop. 

"Hi, Sarah. I'll take a cup of coffee, my partner here will have another glass of water with lemon, and… how's the bakery here?"

"We have the best apple pie in the state." Sarah's beaming at Seth and starting to look a little flushed. Does he have to flirt so obviously in front of her? 

"I like the sound of that. We’ll take two."

"Right away," Sarah says with a smile and click of her pen, and virtually skips away to get their order.

"You're late," Kate says to get his attention. "I have to leave soon."

"Don't be like that, Honey. I got here as soon as I could. I didn't really have this on my schedule."

"You have a lot planned for Vegas?"

"It's called Sin City for a reason."

"Not everyone takes that literally."

"Would be more fun if they did."

'Sarah' comes back with the drinks and the slices of pie. As she sets down Seth's plate, she leans in and says with a toothy grin, "I added extra cream for you."

"It's like I'm invisible," Kate mumbles. "The two of you need some time alone? I can leave?" 

"Jealous, sweetheart?" he teases with a smug smile. 

"Get over yourself. I'm not jealous."

"She knows I'm not here for her."

The movement of his hand catches her eye. That's when she notices that he's still wearing his wedding ring. He's twisting it slowly like she remembers him doing when they were married and he had a lot on his mind. 

When she looks back up at him, he says, "I see you're not wearing yours."

"I sold it."

He doesn't look shocked or hurt by that. He just nods and digs into his piece of apple pie. 

In the afternoon light, Kate finally gets a good look at him. She can see new wrinkles around his eyes and that he’s greying at his temples. Prison has aged him. She has the sudden urge to thread her fingers through the hair, like she used to do after a long day when they would sit on the couch and he would lay his head on her lap. 

She shakes her head. She needs to focus. They’ve done enough small talk. She asked him here for a purpose.“Why are you here, Seth?" 

“You called me,” he says, taking a bite of his pie and moaning with exaggeration.

“In Las Vegas, Seth. The casino. The other night."

“Well, Kate,” he says in a voice that tells her he’s full of bullshit. “The Las Vegas strip has…”

“No.”

“There is this big fight coming up…”

“TRY again.”

“You should try some of that pie,” he says, pointing at her piece of apple pie that she didn’t ask for. He’s smirking at her, and trying to use his charm to ease the tension between them. She’s not in the mood.

She takes a sip of her water as she waits for him. 

“Fine, okay. You want the truth?” he eventually asks when she doesn’t respond.

“Enlighten me.”

He straightens in his seat, pulls his shoulders back and clears his throat. It looks like he's finally going to take this seriously. "Kate, I came back for you."

"Sure you did," she says, sarcastically. 

She waits for the punchline to his joke, but his expression remains serious.

“No, Seth," she says with a laugh. "You're wasting your time."

“I want you back.”

“That's not gonna happen.”

“Kate,” he says as he grabs her hand on the table. “You remember what you asked me the day that we met? You asked me if I knew what I was doing. I do, Kate. Everything I'm doing here, is for you."

She shakes her head as she pulls her hand away because she can’t believe what he’s saying. Hearing him talk about that first day they met in Rome, only makes her remember how much it hurt when he left. "How was any of this for me?” she asks. 

“It’s all for you, Kate.”

"You're delusional, Seth. Prison has made you delusional."

"Why not?"

"Be… because," she stammers. 

"That's not an answer."

“Because, Seth. So much has happened. Everything has changed." She still can't believe that he's being serious about this. That he can pop back into her life and everything will fall back into place for them. 

"Kate. I know that…"

"No, you don't. You have no idea," she says, interrupting him. He's starting to upset her. She never wanted to have this conversation with him, but she doesn't know how else to make him understand. "I was taken in for questioning when you got arrested. Did you know that? The police interrogated me for hours, followed me for days until they finally realised that I was just the idiot wife who knew nothing about her husband's extra-curriculars. When they finally left me alone, I was hounded for weeks by some people you apparently owed a debt to. I had to sell everything and leave New York. I was humiliated."

“Kate. I’m sorry.” 

“But what does it matter, huh? You're out now and want me back. End of story. Who cares what you put me through." 

Seth looks taken aback by her spiteful tone. He still thinks that he's dealing with the Kate from five years ago. The Kate who didn't have her heart broken by a two-bit thief with a nice set of shoulders. 

"What do you want me to say here, Kate? I never meant for any of that to happen. I never wanted to hurt you." He looks genuinely remorseful as he reaches for her hand. But she's too upset, too bitter, too tired, and she keeps out of his reach. Had this been five years ago, she may have believed him. Had this been five years ago, she maybe would have let him try. 

"It happened, Seth,” she says while she gathers her things. “You left me with nothing and I had to start my life over. And, you know what? I did. I've moved on with Carlos."

"No, Kate. Not him. He's bad news. He's a snake."

"And what? You're suddenly such a fine judge of character?"

"Look, okay. Fine, Kate. Fine. You've moved on and I will have to live with that. But not with him. Anyone else but him."

"You know, the people you stole from? They had insurance to cover the damages. What did I get for cleaning up the mess you made?" She stands quickly, trying to get out of here as soon as possible. She's done letting Seth Gecko ruin her life. 

"Kate, wait,” he grabs her hand to stop her from leaving. “Jesus, listen. Okay? Don't leave like this. Please. I won't bring up Carlos, I won't ask you to leave him, just… Please sit down and let's talk. Like we used to. We can still do that, right? No Bull. I swear."

There's a panic in his voice that stops her from pulling away and leaving. Until now, he's been so self-assured and confident. She forgot that there's another side to Seth. The side of him that's scared to lose the things he loves. The side of him that she dreams about at night. The side of him that she didn't believe could hurt her. 

“Come on, Kate. I can't take back what happened and I know you don't believe me when I say that I'm sorry, but I swear no more lying. Whatever you wanna know. One conversation and I’ll back off. Just give me that, please.”

She hesitates before she sits back down, slowly. She shouldn't care what else he has to say. It doesn't change anything that happened. It doesn't bring those five years back. But, if this is going to be the last conversation that they have, she may as well get her answers. 

"No lying?" she repeats.

"I swear."

He watches her intently as she decides her first question. She takes a few sips of her water and lets him stew. She takes a bite of the apple pie and she hates how delicious it is. 

“Are you planning on stealing from Carlos?” she asks eventually. She’s not expecting a straight answer. 

“Yes,” he answers without blinking. "Don't look so shocked. I said no more lying."

“He’ll never let you get away with it.”

“We’ll see.” 

“God. Have you always been this full of yourself?”

“You want me to answer that?” He’s smirking again and helping himself to her glass of water. 

“I didn’t know you set a limit on the number of questions?" 

"You know I can’t count to twenty, Princess."

She feels a smile tug at her lips without her meaning to. He's still so good at sweet-talking her. 

“Would you call it off if I asked?” she asks after a beat. 

“I can’t. Too many people involved and job's already in motion. Besides, Carlito has insurance. The only thing he's losing for sure is his ego."

“And you’re already in debt, aren’t you?”

“Good plans don’t come cheap.”

She hates that it’s still so easy to talk to him and that he makes it feel like no time has passed since they first met. 

But this isn’t five years ago. She knows better now than to be swayed by Prince Charming’s handsome smile and sweet words. 

“Why him?”

“I told you, Kate. He’s a snake. He’s screwed over good people to get to where he is.”

“So, it’s not because he’s with me?”

“...Not only because he’s with you.”

“You’re really being honest with me, huh?”

“Cross my heart and hope to die.”

She turns her head to look at the pedestrians on the sidewalk, going about their day. She knows what she really wants to ask him, but she needs a minute to work up the nerve to ask him. It's what she's wanted to know since the moment he got arrested and her life turned upside down. She tries to swallow the lump in her throat. The last thing she wants is to sound pathetic. 

“Was any of it real, Seth? When we met in Rome? I guess you were pulling some job...”

Seeing him shake his head and confirm what she’s known for years, hurts worse than she ever thought it would. 

“Is that what you thought, Kate? All this time?"

"What was I supposed to think?"

"It was all real,” he says, as his hand finds hers across the table. She's too stunned to keep her distance. “Every minute with you. Every goddamn minute.”

"Seth."

“I was in Italy for a meeting for a plan that never panned out. I saw you sketching in front of the Basilica in Milan. You got so into it. You had that frown on your forehead that you get when you’re concentrating. I don't think you saw the world going on around you. God, you looked so...”

“Is everything okay here?” Sarah doesn’t pick up on the tense mood she’s walked into and sounds as light and warm as a summer's day. 

“Fine,” Seth answers as Kate pulls her hands from his and asks for the cheque.

Seth doesn't continue and she doesn't press him to either. She remembers that day in front of the Basilica. The warm sun on her skin, the endless number of tourists, how she couldn’t get the exact shading on the doors. She doesn't remember Seth at all. 

"It's a really good set that you curated, Kate. Simple, effective. When you get that last piece, it's gonna be amazing."

"How did you… You know what, don’t tell me. I have to go."

She pulls out her purse as she stands and scratches around for some bills. 

“I got it,” Seth says as he drops a few bills on the table before she can organise the cash. “Consider it the first installment of my reparations.”

“At that rate, you’ll be paying me off for the rest of your life.”

“If it means you’re staying in my life forever, then gladly.”

He says it jokingly, but they both know that he's serious.

He stays close to her when they leave the coffee shop. Sarah makes sure to say her goodbyes at the door, but Seth just nods at her. It feels like a hollow victory that Kate can't seem to enjoy. 

When they get out to the street, she says honestly, “I’m going to tell Carlos, you know.”

“I know. As long as you don’t call the cops before the big fight night, I’ll be fine."

"Is that when it's happening? On the night of the big fight? The security is going to be tight, Seth. You’ll never get away with it."

"I thought we were done with question time, sweetheart. Unless you wanna go for round two?"

"Funny, but I have to get back to work."

“Kate," he says before she can cross the street and make her way back to the casino. He walks up close to her, getting right into her personal space, close enough to hear him whisper, “Risking our life together was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made. I’ll never forgive myself for losing you.” He leans in further and the overwhelming sense of him being so close to her, has her frozen stiff. All she can think about is how good he smells. He changes his angle at the last second and gives her a kiss on her cheek.

Her eyes close instinctively and she knows that her brain has committed the feel of his lips on her cheek to her memory. She hates that he still has this power over her. 

"You be good, Fuller," he whispers into her ear.

Before she can think to respond, Seth has disappeared into the busy crowd.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. I hope you like the update. Writing is hard.

It’s delivery day and Kate has lost the stupid order form. Her final piece for the exhibition is arriving today and for some reason she needs the original, signed order form for the delivery truck. Who uses paper anymore? Hasn’t email been invented already? She scowls deeply as she rummages through the mess of papers on her desk again. She knows that she saw it a second ago. It has to be here. 

She's curated exhibitions before - amazing work if she says so herself - but this time, she feels out of her element. She's never this disorganised or nervous before an exhibition. She always has everything planned and worked out. The pressure now is getting to her. It's making it hard for her to focus and keep track of anything. 

"Special delivery," Scott announces as he strolls into her office. 

Scott always shows up unannounced when he visits. Carlos lets him stay in a suite at his hotel for free. Scott makes sure to use all the available perks, and that includes free reign of the gallery and her workspace. He's providing a welcomed distraction from all the emails and phone calls needed to finalise the exhibition, but sometimes that includes disruptions during her working hours. 

"Kate, have you eaten at all today?" Scott walks up to her desk and shakes two giant brown paper bags at her when she doesn't answer. The aroma coming from it hits her like a tidal wave. Almost instantly, her stomach makes pathetically loud rumbling sounds. 

"I'll take that as a 'no'," Scott says with a triumphant smile on his face. He mimics clearing all the papers off of her table and Kate's heart nearly stops. 

"Don't you dare, Scott Fuller."

"I'm kidding. Here, eat a dumpling." Scott walks over to the little coffee table and chairs in the other corner of her office. He sticks his hand into a bag, pulls out a dumpling with a set of chopsticks, and waves it around dramatically as it makes its way to his mouth.

The delivery truck will be here soon and that cursed order form is still MIA, but Scott is right. She hasn't eaten. All the coffee she's drinking helps to keep her awake, but doesn't do much for her grumbling tummy. 

"Yummmmm. Kate, you have to try this. Whoever this new chef is, Carlos needs to pay them more."

"Five minutes," she tells him as she takes a seat opposite and digs in. This close to the food, the smell makes her mouth water. The dumpling is warm and delicious. This new chef that Carlos hired is a keeper. 

"Great. It'll be the longest break you've had since I got here," he says as he ducks his head into the other bag and scratches around like he's hunting for treasure. He triumphantly pulls out a steamed bun and a tub of ponzu sauce.

“You could dish the food out, you know.” She lays out a few napkins on the coffee table and tries to put some order to their impromptu lunch date. 

“Tastes better from the bag," he retorts with a mouth full of food. 

“You read that tip in those wrestling magazines?” she asks between bites of delicious dim sum. 

“At least I’m not living in my office.”

“I fell asleep at my desk once, Scott. That’s hardly living in my office.”

“Now, you’re skipping breakfast," he says with a dramatic sigh. "Should I be worried?" 

“My coffee came with a cookie," she says defensively. Scott is the last person who should judge others on poor eating habits. 

He gives her a deadpan stare, his chopsticks hovering over a steamed bun.

“Fine,” Kate answers and steals the steamed bun right from underneath him before Scott knows what is happening. 

“Wow. That's REAL mature, sis. You’ve set a real good example for me."

"I skipped breakfast,” she says, giving him a wink. “Can we eat in peace, now? Five minutes, remember?" 

"Yeah, fine. Tell me one thing, though.”

“Shoot.”

“You wanna tell me why you are avoiding Carlos? Because I usually have to suffer through plenty of your uptight, couple dinner dates, but I haven't seen him at all since I got here."

"Hey! I am not uptight!"

"And don’t say that you’re busy, either," he adds quickly before she can defend herself further. "I know you when you're busy. I’ve seen you juggle church fundraisers, finals and college applications. This is more than busy.” 

“You’re being dramatic.” 

“Come on, Kate. You're all over the place. And the obsessive cleaning in the hotel room is out of hand."

She tries to spend a few nights with Scott when he visits her in Vegas. They've never been good with keeping in touch when they're apart. So, Kate overcompensates when they're in the same city. Sometimes that includes cleaning up his gross bathroom, because their momma would rise from the dead if she knew the mess that Scott left for others to clean. Kate knows it's overkill, but taking care of Scott makes her feel like the big sister she’s meant to be.

"So, I pick up the wet towels you throw on the floor. How else will it dry?"

"I'm on vacation, Kate. Rule number one is never having to clean up after myself."

"That's inspiring. You should write a self-help book."

He sticks his tongue out at her and she mimics catching it between her chopsticks. No matter how old they get, their sibling banter never dies. Now that they're older and don't live in the same city, the banter provides a comforting familiarity and reminds her of when they were kids. 

Scott gives her a withering look that says he still wants an answer from her. Lord, she misses the days when she could distract him with a pop-tart. 

Kate lets out a heavy sigh. She's not ready to talk about any of this, especially with so much else going on. But Scott's like a dog with a bone. She knows that he won't stop pestering her until she talks. “I told Carlos that Seth has some plan to steal from him," she eventually admits.

"And?"

“‘And?’” she repeats, a little stunned that he seems indifferent. She expected at least some sort of reaction. “He’s going to rob Carlos. You don’t care?”

“Carlos has more money than I can imagine. Will he even notice if a little goes missing?”

“Scott Fuller. That is not the point and you know it.”

“Whatever. What did he say when you told him?” 

She feels herself deflate a bit when she remembers her conversation with Carlos. She's not sure how she expected him to react, but it wasn't that he would be so… dismissive. Not even looking up from his screen to talk to her. "I don't know. He said I was being silly for being so concerned. He reminded me that he has state of the art surveillance system. And some other stuff. I don't remember."

"Figures,” Scott says with a wave of his hand. “Carlos is a tool. Why are you with him again?"

"Can you at least pretend to like my boyfriend while you're staying in his hotel. For free I might add? I know that Carlos can be…"

"A jerk? Patronising? A patronising jerk?"

"Stop, okay." She steals the last steamed bun from his napkin to distract him from talking about Carlos.

"Hey, that's mine!"

"You took too long and I have to get back to work," she says as she finishes eating and starts clearing up. She's said too much already, and Scott is definitely not the neutral party she should speak to about Carlos. 

"Kate, you know… I only want you to be happy."

"You're being silly. I am happy."

"With Carlos? Are you sure?" He takes the brown bags from her to steal her attention away from cleaning and get her to focus on him. "Kate. I know Seth had his issues and he was into some shady stuff, but…" 

"What?" she asks with a laugh. "What does this have to do with Seth?" In all her time that she's known Seth, Scott has been barely tolerant of their relationship. 

"Everything, doesn't it? I don't know how else to explain it. You were different with him. I don't know what to call it, but you seemed… lighter. You were happy."

“Are you forgetting that you hated Seth when we were together."

"I still do, sis. I didn't think he was good enough for you and I was right. But I also know you loved him. I think you still do. And I always thought that Carlos was just your rebound."

"Scott… What exactly are you saying?" 

"I don’t know, Kate. Just… Don't stay with Carlos because you're still mad at Seth."

"Kate, it's here. We need you." Kisa pops her head in through the doorway, before Kate can wrap her head around what Scott is trying to tell her. 

"That's my queue." She watches Scott hop up from his seat, clear the rest of the coffee table and put everything in the trash. Kate can't seem to do anything but wait as her brain mulls over his words. “You're still meeting us at the bar later?"

"Err… yeah," she stutters, coming to her senses slowly. "I don't know about Carlos, but I'll be there." It’s then that she sees that infernal order form, lying under the coffee table without a care in the world. If nothing else has gone right this morning, at least she didn't lose the order form. 

“Hey, Kate,” Scott calls from her office door as she picks up the order form and moves to her desk to gather the rest of the stuff that she needs. “I don’t mind if Carlos doesn’t show.”

She shouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her smile when he's being mean about her boyfriend, but she knows that he's only trying to look out for her. "I’ll see you later, Scott. Stay out of trouble." 

“Bye, sis!" he yells as he disappears from her office.   
________________

The rest of her morning goes by in a flash. Installing the final piece is hard work. There are so many aspects to consider and it all has to be perfect. It takes a lot of patience, time and concentration. Obviously, things don't go according to plan and they end up moving a few of the surrounding pieces around to get the right feel and flow. 

All of her attention is on her work. There are no quiet moments to think about Carlos. Or Seth Gecko. 

They finish up in the late evening, long after they had scheduled. Lucky for her, Kisa has a loyal, hard-working team and everyone stays until the finishing touches are done. 

Kate rushes back to her and Carlos’s suite to take a quick shower and get changed to meet Scott and his friends at the bar. She hasn’t seen or spoken to Carlos since last night. She’s not sure if he remembered their plans with Scott. She tells herself that she's doing him a favour by going without him - tonight will only distract him from everything else he needs to do. 

She’s just about done when she hears Carlos in the hallway. When he’s upset, his voice can carry through an entire floor of the hotel. There’s usually a bunch of Spanish cuss words mixed into his yelling. Tonight is no different. Kate hears something that sounds like “That pinche criminal…” and she just knows this has Seth Gecko written all over it. 

“Is everything okay?” Kate asks, as she hears the door to the suite slam shut. 

“Get it done. OR SO HELP ME!” Carlos yells and slams his cellphone down onto the dining table. The table gives a slight wobble and Kate is sure he’s cracked the screen. Whatever’s happened, it’s serious. 

Carlos is facing the window and she’s not sure if he heard her. Kate’s tempted to try to make a run for it - she’s been with Carlos long enough to know that it’s best to leave him alone when he’s upset. Kate almost wishes he would crack one of his corny one-liners, because that would be better than the hostile silence.

She pulls her phone out as she heads over to him and texts Scott to let him know that she’s not making it to the bar. She and Carlos may be a little off at the moment, but she can’t leave him when she knows that something’s wrong.

“I’m surprised that you are still here, Kate.”

“Yeah, we ran a little late in the gallery. But the exhibition is done,” she answers, ignoring his weird statement and stepping closer towards him. “It looks good. I think you’ll be happy.” 

He makes no move to acknowledge her presence. When she finally reaches him and tries to run her hands up his back to try to show her support, his shoulders visibly tense under her hands. She’s used to Carlos projecting his anger onto anyone unlucky enough to be around him when he’s mad. But it feels different this time. It's almost as if he's angry at her. 

“Carlos?” she asks as she tugs on his elbow to get him to face her. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

"Don't play dumb with me, Kate."

“How can I play dumb if I honestly don’t know what is happening? So what, Carlos? You wanna tell me why you’re mad at me, or are we playing a game of twenty questions?” She knows it’s a bad idea to bate him when he’s in a mood and clearly had a rough day. But Kate has worked hard for him and his gallery. She doesn’t deserve to be berated like a disobedient child.

Carlos grips the edge of the table like he's trying to break through it, and gives a belligerent grunt instead of coming clean. He wipes  
a manila folder off of the table and shoves it into her arms, nearly knocking her over on his way to the liquor cabinet. 

The folder contains an enlarged photograph of what looks like guests being escorted out of the hotel with all of their luggage and entourage. Looking closer, she recognises a few of the guests as very wealthy businessmen she's met before. They were especially invited to the reopening tomorrow, the type of people you need to be seen at your event. It's going to get out to the other casinos that they left early. 

This is the last thing that Carlos needs right now. No wonder he's mad. 

“He took my whales," Carlos says suddenly, while he pours himself a drink. "Every single one of them. He poisoned them against me, played his little tune, and they all went skipping off into the sunset.”

"All of them?" She knew that Seth wasn't playing around with his plan to rob Carlos, but this is ruthless. Once big clients jump ship, they almost never come back. She knows that's not what Carlos needs to hear right now, so she tries to be optimistic. "But, how bad can it be, right? The hotel is still packed. The heavyweight match is sold out. We can make it work, can't we?” 

"I already have a plan in motion, Ms Fuller. However, it is the principle of the matter. I do not like people taking from me."

“Fine. Then don’t let him. There must be something we can do. Let's get them back."

Kate instinctively jumps when Carlos bangs his fist on the counter. "There is no 'we' in this scenario, Kate!" 

His venomous tone throws her. He’s never used such an aggressive tone with her. She knows that he's quick to anger when he's upset, but he doesn't have to be an asshole when she's trying to be supportive. 

"You have nothing to say to defend yourself, Ms Fuller? I thought you knew by now that someone is always watching in my hotel."

She has no idea what he's talking about. Kate looks back down at the photo. She's sure that the source of his ire has to do with it. She scrutinises it closely trying to find what he wants her to see. 

Eventually, she spots it. In the corner, leading the guests out of the hotel is a woman. White, brunette, slight build, and what looks to be the same outfit she wore today. She has to do a double-take, because the resemblance is striking. This person was made to look like her.

"Son-of-a... I'm going to kill him." 

Of course Seth would pull some stunt like this to make it look like she's responsible for the mass exodus of the hotel's VIPs. 

"Carlos, I know what this looks like, but this wasn't me."

"Are you saying this image is false or that it was doctored?"

"No. I'm saying this isn't me."

Carlos glances back into the bedroom and sees the dress she wore today lying on the bed. The dress that looks dangerously similar to the one worn by the woman in the photo. 

"Don't look at me like I'm guilty, Carlos. I don't care what it looks like on this dumb photo. I had no part in this. I'm not working with Seth. I wouldn't betray you."

"Then why sneak around to meet your lover behind my back, Kate?"

"Don't call him my lover. And I was not sneaking around. We met for five minutes at a coffee shop."

"LIES! How long have you two been planning this?!" The sound of glass shattering as he throws his drink across the room makes her flinch. She's never seen Carlos this angry. He's never looked at her with such hate. 

All because of a dumb misunderstanding. After everything she's done for him, how dare he think so little of her.

"Planning what?!" she yells back. "I've been working like a dog on this exhibit at the gallery, for months. YOUR gallery, Carlos. Why would I jeopardise that?" 

"To humiliate me."

"Good Lord. Do you hear yourself? I told you he was planning something. I came to you right away. Why would I do that and betray you later?"

Carlos seems to hesitate for a moment. His eyes flicker back and forth between her face and the manila folder. He's trying not to reveal his feelings, but Kate's known him long enough to distinguish some of his micro-expressions - his clenched fists, his tense shoulders, the way he's grinding his teeth. It all tells Kate that he's looking for reasons to prove that she's guilty.

"Can't you see? He's playing you, Carlos. He wants to make you look like a fool. And he's winning."

She's hopes for any little sign that he at least regrets accusing her. She gets nothing. His silence tells her everything she needs to know.

“We are not done, Ms Fuller," he says as Kate discards the folder somewhere on the floor, grabs her phone and goes to the bedroom to retrieve her purse. 

"What else do you want from me? You don't believe me and you clearly don't trust me. So, however you plan to handle this thing with Seth, you're on your own. I'm done."

He steps in front of her, blocking the front door from her. "I said that we are not done."

"I am not some low-level employee. You don't order me around and I don't cower to your wishes."

The set of his shoulders and the grinding of his teeth tells her that he's not moving. Carlos clearly doesn't know her at all if he thinks that he can intimidate her into complying.

"Move, Carlos."

The stalemate ends when his phone, still on the table at the other side of the room, rings. 

She knows that she's won. Carlos never leaves a call unanswered. His hotel is too important. There is always something else that is too important. 

Kate can't help sounding smug when she tells him, "If that's your source, tell them to check the footage of loading area out back. This photo was taken at the same time that I was accepting a delivery. Luckily for me that in your hotel, someone's always watching."

"Kate" 

"Save it, Carlos. I don't need your excuses. Don't call me, when you figure out I had nothing to do with your whales. I'm leaving. Don't wait up, boss."  
________________

Kate is banging on the hotel room door before she actively realises where she is. The last thing she remembers is being so furious with Carlos. She's never been that angry with anyone. The worst bit was seeing how easy it was for him to believe that she betrayed him. Even after she said that the person to blame was Seth. 

Seth Gecko. That's why she's here. He can try to sweet talk her into believing that he's changed, but she sees the truth now. He lied when he said that he would back off. Scott had it wrong, Seth and Carlos are the same. They're only out to take for themselves. Everyone else be damned. 

She starts banging on the door again when she remembers that this is all Seth's fault. Everytime she thinks that she has her life together, Seth Gecko shows up and ruins it. 

"Open the damn door, Seth!" She's sure that guests from the neighbouring rooms can hear her yelling, but she doesn't care. She's done having other people mess up her life. She makes the decisions now and she's making damn sure that Seth knows it. 

She starts knocking on the door continuously because she knows how much it will irritate Seth. 

The door flies open and an obviously annoyed Seth has one hand on the door and another trying to pull his shirt over his half-exposed torso. It looks like he was in the shower and had to rush out to answer her. Good. She has not even started giving him Hell. 

He has her by the arm as he pulls her into his hotel room. "What the fuck are you doing here, Kate?" 

"You have some nerve, Seth Gecko," she yells as she spins around to face him. 

"Kate? Are you drunk?"

"I'm not drunk," she insists. She stopped at the downstairs bar on her way out of the hotel and had a few drinks, but it wasn't enough to get her drunk. 

"Kate, sit."

"I'm fine, Seth."

"I'm sure you are but humour me and have some water."

He leads her to a couch in the middle of the room, forces her to sit, and hands her a bottle of water.   
She only lets him because her mouth is dry and tastes weird. The taste of the cold water down her throat is refreshing and she closes her eyes in relief. They shoot back open when she remembers why she's here. She can't believe how quickly Seth was able to de-escalate her anger. "You're a piece of work, you know that?" 

"I've been told," he says, taking the seat next to her. "You wanna let me in on what I've done this time?"

"Don't play dumb with me." It's as she makes the accusation that she hears herself sound like Carlos. God, she hates herself right now. She hates this mess that's become of her life. What was she trying to accomplish by being here?

"Kate. What the hell happened?"

She should have left it alone but she made up her mind that she's playing by her own rules. So, she will have her say whether he likes it or not. "I know that you made a stranger dress up as me and steal the hotel's biggest clients."

"Jesus." Seth almost collapses into the couch, no longer laid back and relaxed. "That piece of shit when went ahead and did it anyway." He's rubbing his eyes and sighing loudly. He doesn't look caught out or guilty. He looks defeated. 

But the timing is too convenient to be pure coincidence. 

"Seth. This had to be part of your plan, right?" 

Seth shifts forward in the chair to help himself to her bottle of water. His movements are slow. He suddenly looks so tired. "Part of the plan, yes. But I left fucking Richard in charge of the whales. His only instruction was to leave you out of it."

"Richie did this?" 

"My helpful little brother wanted to make trouble between you and Carlos. But that egghead never fucking listens to me. I knew he was wasting his time. Even Carlos isn't stupid enough to think that you would steal from him."

"Richie… did this?" she asks again, as she tries to process the new information. Seth said he would back off and leave her alone. He stuck to his word. 

"Yeah. I told you, Kate. No more lies." 

Somehow knowing that Seth wasn't involved, doesn't make her feel better. None of this night has made her feel better. She was supposed to be celebrating her exhibition and spending time with her brother and his friends. Instead, Seth and his plans have again turned her life upside down. "What do you care how he did it? You and Richie got what you wanted. Carlos lost his clients and he thinks I'm part of your plan to steal from him." 

The look of shock on Seth's face lasts an instant. "Then your boyfriend's an idiot."

"You're the idiot."

"Hell of a comeback, sweetheart," he says standing from couch. "I'm sorry your Prince Charming doesn't have faith in you, but I have a big day tomorrow. I don't need to spend the night playing couple's counsellor for you and Count Dracula."

He turns his back to her and makes his way to his en-suite. She thinks she hears something like "you know the way out". It's jarring for Kate. She's not used to him walking away from her. Especially when she's not done being angry. He doesn't get to leave now just because he's tired. 

"I was fine before I met you," she calls out, loud enough for him to hear. "I didn't have it all figured out, but I was making plans."

"Your plans with Carlos?" he asks turning back walking closer to her. Seth has never been able to back away from a fight. Something inside won't let her leave until she's sure that she's beaten him and he understands the Hell he's put her through. 

"Yes. With Carlos."

"Who thinks you're part of my plan to rob him. That Carlos? Jesus, Kate. How can you be so blind? That snake only loves his money. He doesn't love you. You're a showpiece. A trophy. And the fucking saddest thing is you don't love him either. You're just too stubborn to admit it."

"How dare you, Seth. You don't know me anymore. You're just the asshole I was stupid enough to marry once upon a time."

"I don't know you, huh?" he asks as he comes closer still and Kate holds her ground. "I can tell what food you wanna eat from the way you do your hair in the morning. I know that even if you're in a deep sleep, your hand always reaches across the bed when someone else sleeps next to you. You think Carlito notices any of that?"

"I don't care about that, Seth. At least he's never left me."

She expects him to explode at that, but he's annoyingly calm as he comes to stand toe to toe. She can smell the shampoo in his still damp hair and feel the heat coming off of him. She forgot just how much heat Seth gives off when he's mad. She can't remember when last they were this close. 

"I'm here now, sweetheart. Where is he?"

He leans in closer when she doesn't answer. He's gearing up for the final blow. He thinks he's won this match. 

"Tell me one thing, Kate. Does he make you laugh? Like I used to?"

She tries hard not to let her emotions get the best of her, but she's angry and exhausted. Thinking about how she and Seth used to laugh together makes her heart break all over again. She loved how much they laughed together and he knows it. She can feel the tears start to form in her eyes without her permission. 

Kate may feel beaten but she won't give him the satisfaction of an easy victory. She looks up at Seth and musters up as much courage as she can so that her voice doesn't falter. "He doesn't make me cry." 

"Kate." The difference in his tone with her is stark. He's never been able to keep a hard front against her tears. He's got that deep frown on his face. The one he gets when he's worried about Richie. Or worried about her. 

The tears start falling freely and Kate feels like a failure. She didn't come here to cry about her feelings, but now she seems unable to stop the confessions from spilling out. "I loved you, Seth. Like I never believed I would love anyone. You were my partner. My best friend. But you had this whole other part of your life that you didn't trust me with. Do you know what it felt like when I realised that I never truly knew you?"

She tries to pull away from him to get some sort of distance because it all feels too much. She doesn't want to fight with him anymore. She never wanted to feel like this again. He grabs her by her forearms before she can move far. He doesn't pull her towards him. He merely holds her in place, so she can't run. 

"Of course you know me. Kate," he says, trying to see her soul through her eyes. "You know me."

"The Seth I know doesn't leave his family. I was your family, remember? But you left anyway and broke my heart. You made me need you and then you left me alone."

"Kate, I thought that Richie would..." 

She pulls her arms from him and yells, "I didn't want Richie. I wanted you!" Her voice cracks and Kate pulls her arms from Seth's grasp. She can feel the wetness on her shirt from the tears falling down her cheeks. Now that her emotions have finally made their way out of her broken heart, she's powerless to stop them.

The fact that she still wants him, goes unsaid. 

Seth's expression is calm. He has his calculating look on his face, like she's a problem he needs to solve. She hates him for being so calm and collected when she feels like she's falling apart. His voice is soft and steady as he asks, "Do you still love me, Kate?" 

He steps towards her again until there's barely any open space between them. He's taking over her personal space like he owns it. Maybe, after all this time, he still does. She holds her ground despite the tears blurring her vision and the burn in her throat.

"What does it matter, Seth?"

"Answer the question."

"It's too late."

"Kate." His hands are cradling her face now, his thumbs softly rubbing her tear-stained cheeks. She remembers the moments he was so gentle with her - like she was a porcelain doll her was afraid would break. "I've done some messed up shit in my life. I'll be the first to admit that. But losing you, risking what we had. I… I didn't know what I had to lose."

"I don't believe you, Seth. You say all these things, but Carlos will never let you get away with stealing from him. He'll get you arrested and you'll leave again. What does love get me when you're back in jail?"

"Baby, then I'm out," he says as he leans his forehead against hers. She remembers this so well, all the times he put his forehead on hers - to calm her nerves, to say that he missed her, to show his love. "I will leave everything. Say the word and we'll leave tonight. I don't care about any of it. As long as I'm with you. Just tell me you still love me."

She's crying harder now and her throat feels like it's on fire. This wasn't supposed to happen. She was supposed to be done with him. She was supposed to move on. But Seth has always had a hold on her, since that meeting in the Vatican. All she's ever wanted since that day, is for them to be together. She still loves him and she doesn't want him to leave. She knows that there's still so much unsaid between them, but there's something cathartic about finally understanding her feelings. As she takes a few deep shuddering breaths and finally stops sobbing, for the first time in a while, her thoughts don't feel all over the place. She feels calm. 

Seth is still holding on to her, patiently waiting for her to come back to him. 

"Besides," he says, as he combs some of her stray hair behind her ears and wipes the last of her tears. "It will be too soon if I ever see the inside of a jail cell again."

She knows that he's trying to make light of his incarceration to ease the tension. But she can tell that scared him. There was something that happened in prison that he's too afraid to admit.

Her hands find their way up his biceps to his shoulders. "There was more to jail than telling stories and playing dominoes?" 

"Tell me you love me and I'll tell you all about it, Princess."

She snorts lightly and shoves at his chest. "You always have to get something out of it, don't you?" 

"All I want is you." He wraps his arms around her, enveloping her in a tight hug. She lets him. For so long she dreamt about him holding her like this. Finally, she's in the arms of the real thing. 

"I love you, Kate." He pulls back slightly and kisses her forehead. 

"I love you." He kisses her cheek. 

He has his hands on her cheeks and placing his forehead on hers again. "I'll always love you and I'm never leaving you."

She has to build up the nerve to look him in the eye as she asks, "Are you're really out?"

She has to know for sure. She has to know that he's staying. 

Seth barely nods when Kate pulls him towards her and finally kisses him. Her other hand wraps around his neck as she deepens the kiss. He kisses exactly like she remembers - like it's their last moments together and they're the last two people on earth. He's always made her feel like she's the only important thing in his world. 

He pulls away from her and she wants to protest. He leans his head down and whispers into the crook of her neck, "You're all I thought about when I was away. Every night and every goddamn day." When he pulls back from his confession, he looks at her like he's physically hurt. 

"I love you, Kate."

Her heart swells. All she wants to do is caress his skin and ease his pain.

She grabs Seth by the collar of his shirt and tugs him closer. "Show me."

She leans in slowly, to brush her lips against his. She gets to thread her fingers through his still damp hair as he backs her up until she's against the hotel room door. The kisses they share are soft, tentative. It's like a dream they're both afraid will end too soon. 

She feels him try to pull away and she bites his bottom lip, on instinct, before he moves too far from her. 

He smiles against her lips as he kisses her harder and presses against her until she can feel the indentations of the door on her back. 

"You got some new moves, huh, Princess?"

"Maybe."

"Never tell me where you got it from."

She chuckles as he moves his mouth to the sensitive part of her neck and Kate runs her hands all over him - over his shirt, his arms, his butt - anything she can to get him closer. He lifts her at her knees so she has to wrap her legs around him, as he grinds his growing erection against her. 

"Dear, Lord." Her head falls back and there's already tingling all the way down to her fingertips. She can't seem to think straight. It was always good with Seth, but tonight, it's obvious that he's not holding back. 

"Old moves still work." 

She kisses the smug smile from his lips, biting them occasionally because she loves the way he sometimes squeezes her thighs harder in response. 

Pretty soon, she's worked up and they're both panting. The kissing isn't enough. 

Kate pushes Seth off of her and shimmies her panties down from under her dress until they're slightly visible below the hem of her skirt. 

"Kate," Seth breathes out as his eyes travel from her legs back to her eyes. 

She bites her lower lip, remembering that it used to drive him crazy. 

"Old moves still work," she repeats, trying to imitate him. 

"Yes, they fucking do."

She takes his hands and brings them to her thighs. He helps her drop her panties the rest of the way down her legs. She easily steps out of them and hikes her skirt up her thigh as she leans against the door. 

It's not a comfortable position, by a long shot, but when Seth moans and swears as he looks at her, she knows it's worth it. She hikes her skirt up more but her movements are halted by Seth. He presses his body against hers in an instant. His mouth is on hers. His hands are everywhere. His chest is flush with hers. 

God. She's missed the feel of him. The taste of him. The smell of him. Five years later and he still smells like her dreams. 

She reaches for the zipper of his slacks, when his hands still hers. 

"Kate, are you sure about this?" he asks, pulling back from her. 

She's nods quickly and she takes his hand and runs it under her skirt and between her thighs. "Oh God, yes."

He's smirking against her lips as he pulls her off of the door and lifts her to place her on the edge of the bed. Finally, he pushes into her and every cell in Kate's body is alive. 

Their bodies seem to act on their own accord, some left over muscle memory from when they were together. He grabs her butt in the way that makes her toes curl. He moans when she bites at the nape of his neck, just like she remembers. 

It's perfect. 

Her legs twitch around Seth as she comes hard. She whispers 'I love you' into his ear as he drops his head to the crook of her neck and starts to thrust in earnest before stilling against her. 

He pulls her with him as he makes his way to the head of the bed. She places her head over his heart as she moves to lie next to him. She can feel his heart beating erratically through the material of his shirt. "I love you," she repeats softly.

They stay still for a minute that Kate wishes would stretch to eternity. She makes patterns with her fingers from his chest to the tattoo on his arm, and Seth pulls her tighter towards him as he covers them with the duvet. 

He runs the tip of his index finger along her jawline, down her throat, to rest his palm over her heart. He has this look on his face that she knows is only reserved for her. Just like she remembers from years ago. 

She used to love when he did that. She can't remember when last she felt this light.

"Hi," she greets him quietly, as she runs her hand up his chest to cup his cheek. "I remember you."

"I missed you too, baby."

She shifts slightly to press her lips to his in a soft kiss. "I missed you so much."

"You know, all my plans for tomorrow fell through. I've still never seen the Grand Canyon. We can get there by lunch if we leave early enough."

She knows that he's asking her to spend the rest of the night with him, and maybe a while after too. 

"It's the exhibition tomorrow."

" So, you and Carlos…" He trails off without finishing his question. 

She's not sure what to tell him, but she won't lie. "I never wanted it to be like this." 

"I know, baby."

"I know I can't be with Carlos but I still have to talk to him. I don't know what that means for us."

"Kate, I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving you again. I just want to hold you for as long as I can. And it's late and I know you're tired. So, stay tonight. Please?"

She kisses him softly to let him know that she's staying. She never wants to leave him again, not when she just got him back. 

Kate curls up against Seth as he wraps his arm around her and makes them comfortable. The last thing she remembers is the sound of Seth's heartbeat and the feel of the rise and fall of his chest.


End file.
